Christians Still Die

Imagine with me for a moment that at age seventeen, you are beaten and lose your arm because you ride your bike through a brick yard playing Christian messages and songs.
Imagine being kicked out on the street by your husband with three small children to provide for, in a country that shuns those who carry the name of Christ. Your only means of survival becomes living in a dirty one room barn, splitting one cup of milk each day between your starving children in exchange for cleaning the home of the owner.
Imagine being twelve years old and after the murder of your mother for her faith in Christ, being forced to marry a seventy year old man unless someone rescues you.
Sound like something out of a horror film? Sound too horrible to be true? It’s not, these stories(and stories like them) are all true. These are the terrifying realities that many of our brothers and sisters in foreign countries live with on a daily basis. These are the people that Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) and originations like them are supporting and ministering to. These are our fellow members of the body of Christ.

I think we can tend to categorize religious persecution as a “first century tragedy”; but what many of us don’t know is that it over sixty percent of all Christians martyred have been in the twentieth century. You’ll probably never hear most of their stories. That’s not the sort of “news” that our media reports. But just because we aren’t always made aware of it by our secular media, doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist. Hebrews 13:3 says, “Remember the prisoners as though in prison with them…” As fellow heirs of grace with these precious people; it’s our responsibility, and even more so privilege, to make sure that we are serving them in any way we can. Some can support them financially, while others can write letters to encourage prisoners. The one thing that we all can do though is to pray for them and that is what they ask for most. If people like you and I don’t take the time to remember them, who will?

These brothers and sisters have amazing faith! The kind that I can only hope and pray for should the time ever come where the shoe is on the other foot. Remember the seventeen year old boy at the beginning of this post? Well, when asked by VOM what he would do if attacked again, He replied; “If my other arm be cut off, I still have two legs; I’ll walk the messages through the yards. And if they should kill me, then I’ll be with my Savior”. Even after he was offered help to get out of the city, He refused to go saying that he felt God was calling him to share the good news of Christ with his people. What faith! How about the women with the three children? Instead of being bitter and turning her back on God, she cried out to Him. Her cry was heard and help was sent through VOM. She and her children are now in a safe home and being nourished. As for the twelve year old girl, she was able to be rescued on the eve before she was supposed to me married. And though having endured unimaginable pain is now safe and her spirit is joyful.

These stories all had a happy ending. Praise God! But for some, they will never get the help they need; and for others, their faith will cost them their lives. And we think our problems here in America are so big. Even as I’m writing this I am convicted of so many areas that I complain in and so many times I am tempted to doubt God’s goodness. What amazes me is that they don’t complain or even want our pity. They ask for our prayers that they might have the strength and endurance they need to never deny their Lord.

I was thinking about the contrast the other day. Here, many mega churches are getting people in the doors with the promise that Christ came to being you happiness and a life free of pain and suffering. They are winning them with advents and advertisements, with promises of a “fun” time. Over there, they are told, choose carefully, because if you follow Christ, it will mean suffering and for many death. They will be cut of from their families, kicked out of their homes, denied clothing, food, work and shelter. All they will have is Christ, but they trust He will be enough. If their stories have pierced your heart even a little, please take a few minutes to this site. Ask the Lord how he might have you remember the persecuted as “if in prison with them”. Please take some time to pray for them or for their counties. Maybe even write a letter (view this link for information). And please, please, tell others that you come in contact with that, “Persecution didn’t end at the Roman coliseum, Christians still die.” Who knows? Maybe one day it’ll be us asking for prayer and strength to endure to the end. Are we ready? Where would we stand if called to bare up under these trails? I believe that God will give us the strength when and if we need it (Philippians 4:13), but I still think it’s something worth contemplating.

In closing I would like to share with you this story. It’s supposedly a true incident that occurred in Romania during a Soviet Army invasion. Please read it and ask yourself the question, as I did….. Which side would I have found myself on??

Which Side

Two soldiers entered a church with their rifles pointed and said, “What are you doing here, worshiping God? All those who are faithful to Him, stand on the right side. You will be shot for your faith. You who wish to go home, who wish to keep your life, stand on the left side. You must decide to live or die. Those who are faithful will die. Those who deny Christ can live freely.”
Ten minutes earlier, both sides had sung the praises of the Lord, but it cost them nothing except perhaps a few cents or a dollar to put in the offering. Now, it was a question of life and death. Some stood on the right; some stood on the left.
To which side would YOU have passed?
******************************************
After this sifting had taken place, the soldiers said to those on the left, “You are free to leave.” These were happy to have escaped and left the church. When the others remained, the soldiers put aside their rifles and said, “We are also Christians, but we wish to worship without hypocrites.”

“You will be hated by all because of My name…Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul…Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it.”
Matthew 10:22, 28, 32-33; Mark 8:35